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IT IS HURRICANE SEASON 2015 -- YOUR VICTORIA PARK CERT NEEDS YOU!

The VP Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has been a valued neighborhood asset for more than 20 years.

The concept of a Community Emergency Response Team -- CERT -- originated in California in response to earthquakes, and was adapted for Florida after Hurricane Andrew: that 1992 Category Five event taught us that after a storm, our paid emergency responders are overwhelmed. Local roads are often blocked immediately after a disaster, frustrating response times for first responders, so there is a clear need for truly local responders to provide aid to their neighbors.

Our team members – your neighbors – were mobilized after Hurricane Wilma, when fifty members fanned out in VP immediately after the storm to check for injured or trapped people and report neighborhood conditions to the City's Emergency Operations Center.

The following day, the Victoria Park CERT was asked to set up and operate FEMA's distribution site in Holiday Park; with the assistance of 50-plus non-CERT residents who volunteered, we provided 10,000 persons a day with a total of 110 tractor trailer loads of water, food and ice over twelve days.

Unfortunately, over the years, some team members have moved, some have retired, and, sadly, a few long-time members have passed.

Victoria Park's CERT and your neighbors now need YOU to become a member of our team.

CERT classes are offered at no cost to residents, who learn skills that enable non-professionals to provide aid after a severe storm, before the cavalry arrives.

CERT training will help you better protect your family first, then assist the neighborhood.

Our CERT has been here to help when needed, but we are currently at our lowest team strength in years.

We need new members, whether young or old; if you are willing, we have a place for you in our team!

Working together, our CERT has a proven history of getting the mission accomplished when the need presents itself.

Please consider becoming a member of our CERT – your efforts will benefit your family AND our neighborhood.

Here is information about the City's CERT training:

Get CERT-ified!

Following a major disaster, it is likely that emergency personnel will not be able to immediately access our neighborhood.

YOU can make a lifesaving difference by learning the necessary skills needed to survive the immediate aftermath of a hurricane, tornado, fire, flood or other major disaster by taking a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course, offered by the Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue Department.

CERT is an eight-week course offered at no charge to City of Fort Lauderdale residents that provides hands-on training to enable you to initiate and implement learned disaster rescue techniques, which can be utilized until emergency personnel are able to reach you.

The City of Fort Lauderdale uses CodeRED to send mass notifications by phone, email and text to keep citizens informed of emergency situations such as hurricane evacuations, utility outage, water main break, fire or flood, and chemical spills.

There is no charge to register for or use CodeRED, and personal information is kept confidential.

To register, click on the CodeRed logo above or call the City's Customer Service Center at 954-828-8000.